Rolls-Royce investigates bribery allegations

A recent High Court decision has underlined the importance of getting your consumer contracts right and how bribery can take place in the workplace.

As you are probably aware, Rolls-Royce has been asked by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to provide information regarding bribery allegations of malpractice by its intermediaries in Indonesia and China.

The allegations are against Rolls-Royce’s intermediaries rather than the company itself but Rolls-Royce could still be liable. This is because, under the Bribery Act 2010, a commercial organisation commits an offence if a person associated with it bribes someone on its behalf. Such organisations do, however, have a defence if they can show that they had adequate procedures in place to prevent it.

In its response to the allegations, Rolls-Royce says that it has strengthened its procedures in recent years, for example by introducing a new ethics code. This case could demonstrate the importance of businesses having adequate policies and procedures in place.

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